was an honor to play alongside him and throw him the ball.”

Williams was hampered by an unspecified injury during spring practices, including minicamp last month. The Chargers placed him on the PUP list earlier this week, but general manager Joe Hortiz said Wednesday afternoon that he expected Williams back on the field sooner than later.

It was anticipated that Williams would help bolster the Chargers’ wide receiver corps this coming season, giving Herbert additional options beyond second-year standout Ladd McConkey, who set franchise rookie receiving records last season with 82 catches for 1,149 yards.

Tory Dandy, Williams’ agent, then informed Hortiz later Wednesday that Williams intended to retire. Williams leaves the game at age 30, having caught 330 passes for 5,104 yards and 32 TDs over 106 games in the NFL, including 88 with the Chargers, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2017.

Williams was unavailable for immediate comment.

“It feels good,” Williams said of his homecoming back in April. “Last year was terrible for me. It was terrible. Probably the worst year I had in the league by far. So, yeah, putting it in the past. That was the past. Trying to make it feel like it didn’t happen. Just trying to get back to what I’m used to and that’s having fun. That’s my main thing.”

The Chargers posted a photo with the words “Thank You” on social media.

“Oh man, I love him as a brother,” Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. said of Williams after the first practice of camp. “I’m going to miss him a lot. I built a bond with him and (former Chargers receiver) Keenan Allen. I’m going to support him. I don’t want to say it’s shocking, but I’d like to have him out there with me.”

Coach Jim Harbaugh spoke with reporters before practice and before the news of Williams’ retirement broke at mid-morning. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the story with a post on X (formerly Twitter), citing an unnamed source, while the Chargers were going through their first drills of training camp.

Harbaugh’s next media availability is scheduled for Monday.

McConkey was expected to be Herbert’s top target with Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis, Jalen Reagor, Jaylen Johnson, Dez Fitzpatrick, Brenden Rice and rookies Tre’ Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith battling for playing time. Reager made a diving catch of a long Herbert pass Thursday.

But without Williams the Chargers’ wide receiver depth looked as thin for their training camp opener as it did last season. Harris, a second-round draft pick, reportedly ended his holdout late Thursday afternoon, signing his rookie contract. He is expected to report to practice today.

It’s unclear how Williams’ retirement might impact negotiations with Harris.

EXTRA POINTS

Herbert wore special contact lenses to protect his eyes from the harsh Southern California summer sun, which a reporter pointed out made him look like an evil Sith Lord from the “Star Wars” movie franchise. ... Left tackle Rashawn Slater practiced as expected while awaiting a contract extension. ... Harbaugh regaled reporters with tales of catching 22 foul balls or home runs while attending major league games during his lifetime and meeting seven presidents and one pope.